Railway frog body



`"De7,1943. c. w. BREED ETAL 2,335,994

.RAILWAY FIROG BODY Filed July 27, 1942 l 2 Smets-sheet 1 l x sg m l k .1

t; LD gp n: N IQ in k k i A? @l a lq EO Y` m x n? f@ `Q- E g E s b5 E E i J x 2 E E Fil 1\ l E a] -T L FT-l n E E N Q i\\ l \l- D ffl T 50 1\ b5 ma Q INVENToRs E CHARLES w. BREED N GEORGEIR. BURKHARDT l \J k l ATT Y.

Dec. 7, 1943. c. w. BREED ET Al.

RAILWAY FROG BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, `1942 INVENTOBS CHARLES W. BREED GEORGE R.BURKHARD`Ik Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY Face BODY Charles W. Breed, Western Springs, and Golge R. @Burkhardt Chicago. 11,1.

V l Applieanen Julyzv, 1942, serial No. 452,478

4 claims. (C1. e46- 470), n

' lThis invention relates to cast orforged bodies of railway track fro-gs, of either the type in which the b ody'comprises the frog point and wing rail elements cast or forged in one piece, or the type in which the body is in the form of an insert to which the rails, separate therefrom, are joined, and the object of the invention, generally speak;- ing, is to provide a cast or forged frog body which is exceptionally strong with respect to supporting wheel loads, and exceptionally durable in service,v being very unlikely to become cracked or broken by wheel loads and shocks to which it is subjected in service.

To the end of providing a frog body which, as stated, is exceptionally strong with respect to supporting wheel loads, a special and important object of the invention is to construct said body of box-girder form, while providing a body which is very unlikely to become cracked or broken by wheel loads or shocks imposed upon the same in service. A further and important object of the invention is to provide only longitudinally extending vertical members or webs, to the exclusion of transversely extending vertical members or webs, between the top and the bottom 'chord members of the box-girder structure, thereby to avoid in manufacture cracks or weaknesses which would be likely to occur due to the slower cooling of the greater masses of metal at the junctions of the longitudinal and transverse vertical members than in said members, if transversely extending vertical members in addition to longitudinally extending vertical members were used.

Further to the end of providing a frog body which is exceptionally strong and unlikely to become cracked or broken in service, a special and important object of the invention is not only to construct said body of box-girder form, devoid of transversely extending vertical members between'the top and the bottom chord members thereof and including only longitudinally extending vertical members between the said top and bottom chord members thereof, but to dispose said longitudinally extending members substantially beneath the trac bearing portions of the top chord member so as most eiectively to reinforce and-stiffen said trafc bearing portions. In this connection and with particular reference to a frog body of the insert type, another special and important object of the invention is to construct the frog body so that the lower chord thereof rests at its sides upon the base angesof the wing rails, whereby trac loads imposed on the frog body are transmitted to the bases of the wingrails.

According to the invention the frog body may, as aforesaid, be cast in one piece, or it maybe composed of separate topv and bottom chord memb ers whichmay remain separate from each other or which may be welded together to form a unitary structure. lnv anyl event, another special and important object of the invention is to form said body with suitably located openings to enable either casting of the same in one piece or convenient welding together of the top and the bottom chord memberst'nereof if these members are formed separately from each other.

.With the forego-ing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood,y the same consists in a frogbody, or, in case the frog body is. of the insert type, in a composite frog structure, embodying the novel features of con.- struction, combination and arrangement of parts as wil1 be hereinafterV more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and de-4 fined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, whereink like characters ofl reference denote corresponding partsinrelated views:

' Figurel is a top plan View of a composite frog structure, wherein both the frog structure Aconsidered as a wholeA and the frog body in the form of aninsert embody the features of the invention.

Figures 2, 3- and4 are transverse sections on the lines 2 2, 3,-3 and 12-4, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Figure 5:` is` a top plan view of a frog body of the type in which thefrog point and wing rail elements are of one-piececonstruction, and which embodies features of the invention; and

Figures 6, l and 8 are transverse sections on the lines 6 6-, 'l-'l and 3 8, respectively, of Fig. 5'.v y

Referring; tov thedrawings in detail, first with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigs. l to LhAdesignates, generallyga frog body of the insert type andof thepresent,improvedbox-girder form, and lil; Ill and Il, Il` designate'pairs ofwing rails bolted to. saidf-rogbody and` extending from opposite ends thereof, respectively.

In accordance with the invention the frog bodyy A of box-girder form comprises a top chord member, designatedas I2, a` bottomchord mem-` ber, designatedas I3, and solely longitudinally extendingvertical members. I4, to they exclusion oftransversely extending vertical members, bef tween` saidtop and said bottom. chordmembers.

The top chord member I2 is provided with wheelflange accommodating depressions, or channels I5 forming the frog point I6 and the Wheel-engaging portions I1 to either side of said frog point, and, as shown, said portions I'I extend, as usual, in converging relationship to each other to a point I8 in advance of the sharp end of the frog point I6 and then in diverging relationship to each other to the end of the frog body remote from said frog point I6.

Generally speaking, the frog body A is of blunted-point, arrow-head shape as viewed in plan and includes, at the end thereof toward which the frog point I6 diverges, a shank I9 which tapers inwardly to relatively outwardly extending shoulders at the junction of its narrower, inner end with the main portion of said body A.

The inner end portions of the wing rails I8, Ill are disposed against the outer sides of the shank I9 and at their inner ends abut the shoulders 28. On the other hand, the inner end portions of the wing rails II, II are disposed against the outer sides of the main portion of the frog body A and have terminal portions which extend into overlapping relationship to the inner end portions of the wing rails I0, I8, respectively.

Between the webs of the overlapping inner end portions of the wing rails I0 and Il at each side of the frog is interposed a ller block 2|, while extending through the said overlapping inner end portions oi said wing rails, and through said filler blocks 2|, and through the shank I9 of the frog body A, are tie bolts 22 by means of which the inner end portions of the wing rails I0, I0 are clamped against the outer sides of said shank I9 and the relatively overlapping or terminal portions of the wing rails I I, II are clamped against the interposed blocks 2l, thereby providing a rigid, composite, rail and frog body structure at the related end of the frog.

At the outer sides of the inner end portions of the wing rails II, II are short rail sections 23, 23 and between the webs of these rail sections and the webs of the said inner end portions of the wing rails II, II are interposed filler blocks 24,

Ywhile extending through said short rail sections `23, and through the filler blocks 24 and through Athe inner end portions of the wing rails II, II :and through the frog body A, are tie bolts 25 by imeans of which the inner end portions of the wing rails II, II are clamped securely against 'the outer sides of said frog body, thereby forming :a rigid, composite, rail and frog body structure at this related end of the frog.

In accordance with usual practice and as is, of course, understood, the tops of the wing rails I0 and II are ush, or substantially llush, with the top of the frog point I6 and the tops of the wheel engaging portions Il, respectively, ofthe frog body A and the wheel flange engaging or gage sides of the heads of said wing rails are fiush, or substantially flush, with the related sides of the frog point I6 and the wheel engaging portions I1, respectively, whereby said frog point I6 and said wheel engaging portions I1 form, in effect, continuations of the wing rails ID and I I.

The shank I9 of the strong box-girder frog body A is formed at its sides to t in the fishing spaces at the outer sides of the wing rails I0, and the main portion of said frog body is formed Vat its sides to t into the iishing spaces at'the inner or gage sides of the wing rails II, between the heads 26 and the bases 2l of said wing rails, re-

spectively, and in accordance with the invention the solely longitudinally extending, to the exclusion of transversely extending, vertical side members I4 of said box-girder frog body follow the general shape of said body as viewed in plan, being disposed, generally speaking, parallel to each other. The end portions of said vertical members I4 which are coextensive in length with the shank I9 in part underlie the heads of the wing rails I0, I0 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the other end portions of said vertical members which are coextensive in length with the main portion of the frog body A in part underlie the heads of the Wing rails I I, II as shown in Figs. 1 and land in part underlie the depressions I5 of the top chord member I2 at opposite sides of the frog point I6 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In addition, a central, longitudinally extending vertical member 28 between the top and the bottom chord members I2 and I3 underlies the depressed or channeled portion I5 of the top chord member I2 beyond the point or tip of the frog point I6 and extends a suicient distance beneath said point or tip to firmly support same. Thus, loads imposed on the wheel engaging portions of the top chord member I2 of the frog body are transmitted through the vertical members I4 and 28 to the lower chord member I3 and through the latter member to the bases of the wing rails, the vertical members I4 serving effectively to sustain the wheel contacting portions I1 of the top chord member I2 and the vertical member 28 serving eiectively to sustain the channeled portion of said top chord member in advance of the point or tip of the frog point I6.

The top and bottom chord members I2 and I3, together with the vertical members I4 and 28 may, as aforesaid, be cast in one piece, in which event an opening 29 may be provided in the bottom chord member I3 beneath the frog point I6, and the end of the frog body opposite the shank I9 may be open, as shown, to accommodate means for supporting the mold core. Alternatively, the top and the bottom cord members I2 and I3 may Ae cast or forged as separate units with the vertical members I4 and 28 formed as parts of either of said units or as parts of each of them. According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 4 the top and the bottom chord members areformed as separate units and the vertical members I4 and 28 are formed in part on each of said units. The separate units may remain separated or they may be welded together, as indicated at 36, at the point where the vertical members I4 and 28 are divided, openings 3| being provided in the portions of the members I4 which lie to either side of the member 28 for the insertion of electrode or other rneans employed for welding the vertical member 28.

Figs. 5 to 8 of the drawings illustrate a one-piece frog designated as A', of box-girder form comprising a to-p chord member IZa, a bottom chord member I3a and only longitudinally extending vertical members Illa, to the exclusion of any transversely extending vertical members, connecting said top and bottom chord members. The top of the chord member I2EL is channeled, as indicated at I5*it to provide the tip portion of the frog point, designated as IEE, and wing rail elements, Adesignated as I Ia, one to either side of the frog point I6a and, as in the case of the insert type of frog body shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the vertical members I4St extend generally parallel to each other longitudinally of the frog beneath the rail engaging portions IIa of the top chord member ma and beneath the channeled portions of said top chord member to either side of the tip portion of the frog point ita so as effectively to sustain the wheel engaging and channeled portions o f said top chord member. At the ends of the frog body are portions 32 against which the wing rails (not shown) are to be bolted with the tops and the gage sides of their heads disposed flush with the tops and the gage sides of the frog point I6a and the wing rail elements Ila, respectively. In the bottom chord member I3a are openings 3|a which may accommodate means for supporting the core employed in casting the frog body A.

Due to the absence of any transverse vertically extending members between the top and the bottom chord members of both the insert type of frog body shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and the onepiece type of frog body shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the chord members I22t and la and the vertical members I4EIL cool substantially uniformly with the result that there are avoided cracks and weaknesses such as might occur due to slower cooling of relatively la-rge masses of metal at the junctions of transversely extending vertical members with the vertical members Ilia if transversely extending vertical members were employed in addition to the longitudinally extending vertical members Ma. Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from Y the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A railway 'frog body of box-gi-rder form comprising a top cho-rd member, a bottom chord member, the top chord member having channels defining a frog point and wheel engaging portions one to either side thereof, and, with respect to said body, longitudinally extending vertical members between said chord members, a pair of said vertical members being disposed one adjacent to one side and the other adjacent to the other side of said body and each in part underlying a Wheel engaging portion and in part underlying a channeled portion of said top chord member, and another of said vertical members being disposed approximately inedially of said body and underlying the tip portion of the frog point and the channeled portion of said top chord member in advance of the tip portion of said frog poit.

2. A railway frog bodi7 of box-girder form comprising a top chord member having channels in the top thereof deiining a frog point and wheel engaging portions one to either side thereof, a bottom chord member, a pair of side vertical members between said chord members each in part underlying a part of the wheel engaging portion of the top member at the related side of the body and in part underlying the channeled portion of said top chord member, and another Vertical member between said chord members extending longitudinally of said frog body medially thereof and in part underlying the tip portion of said frog point and in part underlying the channeled portion of said top chord member in advance of the tip portion of said frog point, said chord members being formed as separate units each carrying a part of each of said vertical members, and welds joining the parts of the respective vertical members together, the side vertical members having openings to accommodate an implement for welding the medial vertical member.

3. A frog body as set forth in claim 2 in which said body is formed at its sides to fit in the fishing spaces between the heads and the bases of wing rails to be fastened against the sides of said body.

4. A railway frog bodyof box-ginder form comprising a top chord member, a bottom chord member, and, with respect to said body, longitudinally extending vertical members between said top and bottom chord members, the to-p chord member having channels dening a frog point and wheel engaging portions one to either side thereof, said longitudinally extending vertical members being disposed generally parallel to each other and in part underlying the wheel engaging portions and in part underlying the channeled portions of said top chord member, and at least one vertical member intermediate said longitudinally extending members underlying a channeled portion of said top chord member and attached only to said top and bottom chord members.

CHARLES W. BREED. GEORGE R. BURKHARDT. 

